Exercise # 1 VECON Guided Tour

Overview

This exercise will provide you with a brief introduction to how easily 2D
models can be built in VECON. You will first create a simple model that
illustrates the basic concepts required for successful model building. This
model will also be used for raytracing. The final part of this exercise will
give you a look at the VECON project files. You will do the following
tasks in this exercise:

o Define a new VECON project

o Create and edit layers
o Create and edit faults
o Create and edit objects
o Interactively build a well geometry
o Build VSP source and receiver arrays
o Calculate VSP raypaths for direct arrivals
o Become familiar with VECON file management

Files Required:

 None

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Getting Started

First create a new folder called Exercise1. This is where all your files
generated in this exercise will be placed. To begin construction of your
2D model, launch VECON and single click on the 2D Modeling and
Survey Design button.

Figure 1-1. VECON startup interface

This will launch up the 2D Modeling and Survey Design window. Select
File/New Project.

Figure 1-2. VECON 2D window with File pull-down menu

This will bring up the Set New Model Parameters dialog box.

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Setting New Model Parameters

Figure 1-3. Set New Model Parameters Dialog

For your first model use the following parameters:

1. Project Name : Use the Browse button to move to the /Exercise1 folder
and type in a name for your project, yourproject.2dprj. You may use any
name for your project however the file type 2dprj is required.
2. Image File Name: This is an optional field (note the *) and will not be
used in this first exercise.
3. Topography File Name: Another optional field you will learn about in a
later exercise.
4. Land/Marine: If on land you must build the surface topography within
VECON or load an external topography file. For a marine survey,
VECON will automatically create a sea level at the depth of zero. The

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 default water velocity is 1500 m/s or 4921 ft/s. This may be modified
later. Select Land.
5. Depth/Time: Models may be built in either time or depth. Time models
must be converted to depth before raytracing. For this exercise you will
select Depth.
6. Model Coordinate Range: defines the lateral and horizontal extent of
your model. For this exercise use the default values.
7. The parameters that are grayed out are not needed for this model. They
refer to options not selected for this model. Don’t worry, you will learn
about them later.
8. meter/feet/kilometer: Define the model units. For this exercise select
meters.

Once all the model parameters are set, select Apply and your new project
will be created. This will open the VECON 2D window and you are now
ready to begin building your model.

Figure 1-4. 2D model window ready to begin model building

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Building Layers

The first layer in a land model is the surface topology. Begin building this
layer by clicking on the Build Layer icon and inputting the master
points that will be used to define the layer. The left mouse button defines
a new point. When you have input all the master points click the right
mouse button to indicate you are finished. Don’t worry, you can move,
add or delete the master points later if necessary.

Master Points for

Surface Topography

Figure 1-5. Master points to define the topography layer

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Once the master points are complete you will see the Layer Editor dialog
where you define the physical properties for the velocity zone associated
with your new layer. This dialog is also where you specify the
Layer/Interface relationships, but more on that later in this exercise. All
the parameters on this dialog have defaults except for the Layer P-
Velocity. For now, use a P-wave velocity of 2100 m/sec and accept the
other defaults. Again, any of the physical properties can be edited later.

Before saving your layer, note that the default is to apply smoothing when
generating the layer from your master points. If you choose not to apply
smoothing at this time, the Smooth Entire Interface/Object icon and
the Smooth Partial Interface icon can be used at any time to apply
smoothing.

Apply will put your new layer into the model.

Figure 1-6. Layer Editor Dialog box for inputting physical properties

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 Figure 1-7. Model with topography layer

Continue building the model by adding a second layer below the

topography. Define this layer with three points, starting at the left side of
the model at a depth of about 500 meters and ending just below the
topography at a horizontal distance of about 600 meters. Right mouse
click to end master point input. Use a P-Velocity of 2600 m/sec and
accept the other physical property defaults.

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 X

Master Points for

Second Layer

Figure 1-8. Second layer with master points identified

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Copying a Layer

Many times when building a model you will encounter layers which are
parallel or layers which have little change in shape from one to another.
In these cases it is faster and more accurate to simply copy a layer rather
than making new master points.

To copy a layer, first exit from Build Layer mode with the Cancel icon
. Select the Copy Layer icon and move the cursor to the layer you
want to copy. Using the left mouse button, click and drag the layer to its
new position. For this exercise you want to make a copy of the second
interface about 100 meters below the original

Figure 1-9. New position of copied layer

When you release the mouse button, the Layer Editor dialog will appear.
Use a P-Velocity of 3200 m/sec. Again use the defaults for the other
properties.

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Figure 1-10. Model with copied layer

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Interface/Layer Relationships

With the topography you did not have to worry about interface/layer
relationships because the surface is always above the other layers in our
model. Also, because you added the next two layers from the top down
you did not have to worry about these relationships for them either. It is
not always so simple, but the VECON model builder makes it easy to
handle these more complicated situations.

Start by adding a flat layer below the layers already in the model. Exit
from the previous mode with the Cancel icon and select the Build
Layer icon . Once you are in the Build Layer mode, move the cursor
anywhere in the bottom (red) velocity zone and right click the mouse.
Place the flat layer at a depth of 300 meters. Use a P-Velocity of 3600
m/sec.

By default the new flat layer is placed below the other layers already in the
model.

Figure 1-11. Flat layer added with default relationship parameters

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 But suppose you wanted the flat layer below the topography and above the
other layers in the model? You do this by redefining the INTERFACE
Behind and the LAYER In Front Of the flat layer.

Exit from the previous mode with the icon and select the Set Layer
Order icon to begin. When you left mouse click on the flat layer, the
Layer Order dialog will appear. Move the cursor below the topography
inside the first velocity zone and use the left mouse button to set the
INTERFACE Behind the flat layer. Inside the same velocity zone click
the right mouse button to set the LAYER in front of. Select Apply to put
the flat layer in its new position.

Left Mouse Click

Right Mouse Click

Figure 1-12. Parameters to position the flat layer between the topography and first layer

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Figure 1-13. Flat layer positioned between the topography and first layer

How would you position the flat layer between the two parallel layers?

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 Left Mouse Click

Right Mouse Click

Figure 1-14. Parameters to position the flat layer between the two parallel layers

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 Figure 1-15. Flat layer positioned between the two parallel layers

Another useful option for model building is the Move Layer icon .
You can move a layer by dragging it with the left mouse button. If you
right mouse click on you have the option to move the layer to an exact
position.

Before moving on, delete the flat layer. Activate the Delete Layer icon
and left mouse click on the flat layer to remove it from the model.

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Adding Faults

A fault is a discontinuity in a layer or layers. The VECON 2D editor

makes it easy to build and edit faults. There are several rules for faults:

 In order to create a fault, you may build the layer first, and then
create the fault to cut the layer interface or you may create the fault
first and then build the layer on each side of the fault.

 The model must contain at least one layer before a fault can be
created.

 When creating a fault, you may apply a relative shift for one side
of the interface.

 After creating a fault, you may shift either side of the layer
interface just like shifting layers.

 A fault can be moved to another location using the mouse cursor.

 A fault can be deleted. When you are deleting a fault, the two
sides of the layer interface will be merged and you will choose to
merge with which side of the layer interface.

 A fault can be selected as a reflector for reflection raytracing

calculation.

 A fault is supported for 2D velocity model building only.

 Edits made to a layer on one side of the fault will not change the
layer on the opposite side of the fault.

To build a fault, select the Build Fault icon . Use the left mouse button
to specify the master points that define the fault. Two points are required
but more can be used if necessary. Right click the mouse to end fault
point input.

The Fault Builder dialog allows you apply an upward or downward shift to
the layers on either the right or left side of the fault. For your model shift
the left side up 60 meters to create a normal fault. You can just as easily
build a reverse fault.

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 Points to define fault

Figure 1-16. Master points to define the fault

Figure 1-17. Fault Builder dialog to define shifting of layers by fault

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Figure 1-18. Model with fault added

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Adding Objects

An object is a self-closed geological unit filled with a constant or gradient

velocity. Just like layers and faults you can also edit, move and delete
objects.

Select the Build Object icon and use the left mouse button to define
points that define a small object in the deepest velocity zone to the right of
the fault. The right mouse button will end point selection and bring up the
Object Editor dialog where you input the physical properties for the new
object. Use a P-Velocity of 4000 m/s and default the other parameters.

Points to define object

Figure 1-19. Points used to define object

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Figure 1-20. Object Editor for defining object physical properties

Figure 1-21. Model with object added

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Editing Layers

The VECON 2D model builder makes it very simple to modify an existing

layer. There are three options for changing the master points associated
with a layer: the Add Point icon , the Move Point icon , and the
Delete Point icon .

Let’s edit the topography in your model. Select the Move Point icon
and left mouse click on the topography interface. The original master
points will now be displayed. Use the left mouse button to click and drag
individual points to their new locations. When you are satisfied with the
edits, right mouse click to indicate you are finished. If you click Yes on
the pop-up New Layer dialog the edited layer will be placed in the model.
No will return you to continue with your edits. For complicated changes it
may take several iterations to obtain the desired final layer.

The same command and method can be used to edit the shape of objects.

Figure 1-22. Point Move with new point positions shown

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Figure 1-23. Model with edited topography

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 You can also change the physical properties of a layer or object at any
time. Simply use the Set Layer Parameters icon or the Set Object
Parameters icon and left click on the layer or object you want to
change. This will bring up the Layer Editor or Object Editor where you
can type in the new parameters. Apply will make the changes to the
model.

Figure 1-24. Layer and Object Editor dialogs for modifying physical properties

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Building a Well

Once the 2D velocity model is built you are ready to build the well to be
used for VSP raytracing

Select the Build Well icon to use the mouse to interactively define the
well path. Left click to add points defining the well. The right mouse
button tells the program that the well definition is complete. For land
models the wellhead is at the topography surface, for marine models the
wellhead is at sea level.

For your model define a well that begins at a horizontal distance of about
550 meters and goes more or less straight down to a depth of about 450
meters. From there curve slightly to the left to a final depth of about 650
meters.

Figure 1-25. Defining the well path

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 Figure 1-26. Model showing well path

2D wells can also be imported from ASCII files or other VECON 2D

models. You can also read a 3D ASCII well and project it into your 2D
model. The Move Well icon allows you to move an existing well to a
new position. The Edit Well icon allows you to type in exact well
coordinates to move the well. Also, well definition can also be redone at
any time with the new well replacing the old.

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Defining VSP Shot and Receiver Geometry

Before you can perform any VSP raytracing you must position the
receivers in the well and locate the shots. For Land models the shots can
be on or below the topography. For Marine models the shots can be on or
below sea level.

VECON provides tools to place and move the shots and receivers to the
exact positions you require. You will look at those tools in later exercises,
but for now will use the Quick Build icon . With just a single click,
this option will place 10 receivers evenly spaced in the well and ten shots
evenly spaced across the topography.

Figure 1-27. Shot and Receiver geometry created with Quick Build

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VSP Raytracing

The primary reason for building models is to study how seismic energy
propagates through the model and how it reflects on various horizons in
the model. You may calculate direct waves, reflections, and conversions.
VECON allows you to do all these types of raytracing and generate
synthetic seismic traces with the results.

For this exercise you will again take advantage of the VECON Quick Run
Raytracing icon to calculate the direct arrivals with a single mouse
click. After selecting this button, the flashing circle tells indicates you are
in Quick Run mode. Use the left mouse button to drag a box around a
single (or multiple shots). The program will automatically calculate the
direct arrivals for the selected shot(s).

Figure 1-28. Selecting a shot for Quick Run Raytracing

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 Figure 1-29. Direct arrivals for the selected shot

At any time you can exit from the current command mode with the Cancel
icon and use the left mouse button to drag a zoom window in your
model. The Fit in Proportion icon will restore the image to the full
model.

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You can also select a receiver or receivers and have all the direct rays to
that receiver calculated. Left mouse clicking on a layer will calculate the
reflections from that layer.

Figure 1-30. Close-up of ray paths for a selected receiver

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Another useful option available in VECON is the ability to measure the
angle along a raypath. To use this tool, select the Run/Measuring Angle
pull-down command. Left mouse click on the anchor point and then drag
the mouse to the position you want to measure the angle to. The measured
angle will be displayed in the lower right corner of the window. The angle
is always measured from the vertical. The horizontal distance between the
anchor point and the cursor is also displayed.

Figure 1-31. Measuring the angle from the source to the receiver.

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Now that we have seen the Quick Run Raytracing option, let’s look at
some of the additional raytracing options available in VECON. First,
redesign your source array using the Build Shot icon . Use a single
shot located at 600 meters, just to the east of the wellhead.

Figure 1-32. Measuring the angle from the source to the receiver

Begin by raytracing the reflections from both the fault and the second
layer in the model. Click the Select Reflector icon and click on the
two reflector targets. Once selected, they will be highlighted in black. To
begin raytracing, choose the Wavefront Raytracing icon . P-P
Reflection should be the default so for this exercise accept all the defaults
and click Apply. Your results should look similar to Figure 1-33.

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Figure 1-33. Reflections from the fault and the second layer.

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In addition to raytracing from layers and faults, you can also calculate
reflections from objects. First, again using the Select Reflector icon ,
unselect the layer and the fault. Next select the object for your reflector.
For this exercise you only want reflections from the top surface of the salt
object. So, after selecting the object with the left mouse button, use two
left mouse clicks to define a segment of the object. The object surface,
moving clockwise between the two mouse clicks will be used for the
reflection raytracing. The selected segment will be highlighted in black.
The Wavefront Raytracing icon can be used again to calculate the P-P
reflection raypaths. Your results should look similar to Figure 1-34.

Figure 1-34. Reflections from the top of the salt object.

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Adding Labels to Your 2D Models

VECON makes it easy to add informative labels to your cross-sections.

Select the Display/Print Label pull-down menu. To create a label with
an arrow, drag with the left mouse button from the end point of the arrow
to the beginning point where you want the text to appear. The Font and
Color dialog will open for you to enter your text and select the font, size
and style. Type in your text and click Apply. Your label will be
displayed on the 2D model.

Figure 1-35. Font and Color dialog.

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 Figure 1-36. 2D Model with label added.

Congratulations! You have successfully built and raytraced your first

VECON model. You are now ready to File/Exit the program. Be sure to
save your project!

Figure 1-37. Be sure to save your project

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VECON Files

All the files created while working with your project will have the prefix
you gave your project and will all be place in the same directory. The
default directory is VECON/data but you can create projects in any
directory. At this point in the exercise, your data directory should contain
the following files:

yourproject.2dprj documents the model and geometry parameters

yourproject.lay information for layers, faults and objects

yourproject.mdl gridded velocity model used for raytracing

yourproject.ray information on the calculated raypaths

yourproject.wel coordinate information for the well

These files are all ASCII and can be viewed in any standard text editor.
The formats for all are described in detail in the VECON User Manual,
Chapter 12.

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Summary

Now that you have completed this exercise, you should know how to
perform the following tasks:

 Start and stop VECON

 Define a new VECON project
 Create and edit layers
 Create and edit faults
 Create and edit objects
 Build well geometry
 Build VSP source and receiver arrays
 Calculate VSP raypaths for direct arrivals
 Be familiar with VECON file management

The exercises that follow will explore in more detail about VECON 2D
modeling and introduce you to VECON’s 3D modeling capabilities.

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